Anita McBride

Anita McBride is an internationally recognized expert on first ladies and the operations of the White House. She directs the Legacies of America's First Ladies Initiative at American University's Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies in the School of Public Affairs. Her White House experience spans two decades and three Administrations, including as Assistant to President George W. Bush and Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush, overseeing all of the first lady's domestic and international initiatives from education reform to global health. She is the co-author of three books on the evolving role of the first lady and their historical influence on the American presidency, including a first-of-its-kind college textbook and an illustrated children's book. She is a frequent speaker and media commentator on White House history and presidential transitions. She is actively engaged in philanthropic efforts nationally and globally, supporting women's leadership, the arts, cultural heritage, historic preservation, and veterans' wellness. To honor the nation's Semiquincentennial, she is co-chairing In Pursuit , a national civic education project of More Perfect, that documents lessons in leadership from U.S. presidents and first ladies over the course of American history.